


White Swans — The Hazards of taking a Padawan

by Darka3363



Series: Daybirds [4]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Canon Rewrite, Gen, No beta we die like younglings, Pre-Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, Slice of Life, Worldbuilding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-08
Updated: 2021-01-08
Packaged: 2021-03-12 11:48:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,498
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28634991
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Darka3363/pseuds/Darka3363
Summary: In which tea gets disrespect from Master Tholme.
Relationships: Obi-Wan Kenobi & Quinlan Vos - mentioned, Qui-Gon Jinn & Tahl (Star Wars) - mentioned, Qui-Gon Jinn & Tholme
Series: Daybirds [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2058186
Comments: 7
Kudos: 103





	White Swans — The Hazards of taking a Padawan

"I heard you're going to take Obi-Wan Kenobi as your Padawan," says Master Tholme to Qui-Gon Jinn in lieu of a greeting.

Jinn raises an eyebrow.

"Hello to you too. Would you like to come in?"

"Just get inside, I have some _vital_ information for you that I think I should tell you in the spirit of good sportsmanship."

"But you certainly don't have to tell me before I make some tea for us?"

"Jinn, you're spending much too much time with politicians, I swear to the Force, you don't have to make tea _every_ time I'm coming here to chat for literally five minutes," Tholme rolls his eyes, but does sit in the armchair to wait for the tea.

Qui-Gon just chuckles, and quickly goes to the kitchen to get the freshly brewed tea.

It was a total coincidence Tholme decided to visit him when Qui-Gon was making tea for himself. It must've been the Will of the Force.

"Really now. People usually accuse me of spending too much time with animals and plants, not that I am polite, and a good host."

Tholme groans.

"You can talk forever and say nothing, and here you are, already giving me a headache. How Tahl can stand you for an extended period of time will forever be a mystery for me."

Qui-Gon puts the tea on the coffee table, together with some biscuits.

"So you came here to confirm a rumour, yes?"

"I am ninety percent sure it's true, but yes."

"Then yes, I am going to take him on as my Padawan. He might be a little temperamental, but that's nothing that can't be polished, but from what I've seen his temper is absolutely delightful, so I'm not so sure if I will help in that regard."

Tholme nods.

"Yes, he's moody as hell, that little brat, but he's so funny it doesn't bother me at all."

"You know Obi-Wan?" Qui-Gon raises his eyebrows.

He wasn't expecting that.

"Do I know him? He's a permanent feature of my apartment at this point, Qui-Gon. He bullies my Padawan into being a better student. He sasses _me_ to hell and back, and he has some very strong opinions for a thirteen year old human child. But that's beside the point now, here comes my caution warning I never got: my own Padawan came as a package deal with a certain redhead. He even has his own toothbrush in the fresher, and half of Quinlan's closet is filled with Obi-Wan's clothes. And it just so happens that this redhead is gonna become _your_ Padawan, so you can be sure that for at least half the time in your rooms there will be not only the red hellion, but also a small Kiffar."

"Get to the point, Tholme. For all you complain about my manner of speaking, it is you with the drama queen tendency to delay the news."

"Alright. Obi-Wan Kenobi and Quinlan Vos are a package deal, and you won't be able to separate them if they both are in the Temple at the same time. They will be sleeping together, they will play together, they will study together, they will do everything together and the best thing you can do about it is to just accept that, because Quinlan's mind healer told me, and I am quoting: 'if you try to separate them, I will hunt you down to beat you with my own datapad, and then make you pay for a new one, because they have a very positive impact on each other'."

Qui-Gon blinks.

"Isn't that—"

"An attachment? Apparently not. "Tholme exclaims bewildered, "Quinlan and Obi-Wan apparently have no problems with letting Quinlan go on missions with me, while Obi-Wan stays in the Temple, and except for mild down mood for the first few hours on the first day they're perfectly fine. For some reason she has equated it to how you are with Tahl when you're in Temple, and then you are sent on separate missions, but I'm not sure what she wanted to achieve by telling me that."

But Qui-Gon _does_ know.

It was a rather weird way of reinforcing Qui-Gon's decision to take Obi-Wan as his apprentice, in spite of what might seem as attachment to the untrained eye, but what is actually a Camaradiere Bond.

To think two boys so young can achieve such a bond between themselves speaks volumes.

Such a bond takes place when three conditions are met: one, the people in question must know each other for a long time; two, those individuals must know each other inside-out; and three, the trust between them must be unconditional and absolute.

And that third part is the hardest to achieve by anyone. 

Giving someone your absolute trust, giving them your _heart_ , while they're wielding a knife in the other hand, and trusting, _knowing_ them to never, not even for a moment, think of betraying you, or hurting you…

It takes a lot. And there's few individuals that can overcome the intuitive response of not trusting, of hiding away the things that can hurt you. Those boys exposed themselves to each other and _trust_.

Some people say the Camaradiere Bond is just shy of being a Dyad Bond, but Qui-Gon knows better. He knows so much better.

Dyads are joined in the Force, by the Force, and it doesn't matter if the participants want the bond or not, it is there and _will_ be there, no matter what, while the Camaradiere Bond is a _choice_ constantly made by those who share it.

And Obi-Wan and Quinlan have chosen each other.

And Yoda probably knows that, this green little bastard, which is also probably why he's been showing off Obi-Wan to Qui-Gon every time he got the chance without making it seem weird. He wants Jinn to teach those two how to operate within the bond, so that it won't accidentally melt their minds together. Which would be problematic. And definitely not very comfortable with either of the boys.

Qui-Gon shudders.

Accidental mind-melts are the _worst_.

Tholme frowns.

"You know something, don't you. You, and that mind healer. Possibly Tahl. Something I don't. What's it."

"Oh, I know how you do love figuring out such mysteries, why should I tell you then?"

"Because I have a favour to cash in with a certain Knight, who's looking for a Padawan, and I just might point him into the direction of a redheaded hellion."

"You wouldn't."

Tholme raises a brow.

"I certainly would."

They stare at each other for a few seconds.

"Alright." Sighs Qui-Gon, "it is kinda hard to explain, but I can point you to some books about Camaradiere Bond."

"...about what."

"Yes, that's a thing that exists, Tholme. Basically, it's kinda like a training bond, but on drugs."

"That explains exactly nothing."

"You know how with a training bond you can receive the feelings and impressions, right? This is kinda like it, but more advanced. You can actually have a conversation in the Camaraderie Bond, you are constantly _aware_ where the other is, in peak you can even share memories. It does come with its set of problems, accidental melting for example, which are _not_ comfortable, and it's also theorised in the most severe cases you can actually mind swap with each other, but the last one was never tested. They say it's not humanitarian."

Tholme pales a little.

"Oh little gods. And what's up with that 'accidental melting'?"

"It is when suddenly there's a huge information swap, and sometimes you feel as if you lived two lives at the same time, and that's when you accidentally mind-melt with the other."

"Oh, sweet Force. Is there a way to prevent it?"

"Yeah, sure, there are even options to choose from. I can teach them those, no problem."

"You sound like you speak from experience."

"Tahl and I share such a bond."

A second of silence.

"Suddenly, everything makes sense. No, it actually doesn't, but you know what I mean."

"I do know what you mean."

"Great. Well then," Tholme drinks all his tea in one go, "I will be on my way, make sure Quinlan didn't blow up Council Chamber or something in my absence."

"You are a savage, this is not how you drink tea. And I'm sure Obi-Wan would've stopped him. He looks responsible like that."

"Only when you're looking, because the second you turn away from him, he enables Quinlan to make questionable choices. Or he participates in the mischiefs, it feels as if it depends on alignment of the stars or something. Don't let him fool you with his innocent act, Qui-Gon, it's a lie. A dirty, dirty lie."

"Then he's already a perfect candidate to make him into a diplomat."

"I hate you. Truly, I do. I am leaving before I strangle you, or lose even more brain cells."

Jinn chuckles as Tholme makes his way to the door.

He has a good feeling about this whole apprenticeship.

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos are appreciated.
> 
> And. And, and, and.
> 
> The actual prequel takes much longer to write than I originally thought it would take. And it just so happens in the next week I've got three twelve hour long shifts, so I am going to be too dead to write for quite a while.


End file.
